Border Patrol: deployed to the U.S. desert

AUDREY PARENTE, Staff Writer

Tuesday

Aug 3, 2010 at 12:01 AMAug 15, 2012 at 12:04 PM

Sandstorms and extreme heat battered Army 2nd Lt. Nick Puckett, 28, during his recent deployment, but he wasn't in the Middle East. The platoon leader -- son of Tony Puckett of Ormond Beach -- was part of an engineer support mission where he helped repair and upgrade more than three miles along the U.S. and Mexican border near the Tecate Port of Entry, southeast of Yuma, Ariz.

The 2003 Florida State University graduate was assigned to aid Joint Task Force North, a Department of Defense organization. His platoon helped construct and improve roads, install border perimeter lighting, fencing and vehicle-barrier construction, and correct drainage issues. He shared his experience in an e-mail interview.

What was it like working along the Mexican border?

I am a platoon leader in an Army engineer unit. This means I get the opportunity to lead a group of soldiers on many different types of missions. It was a great opportunity to see my soldiers in action. This was my first opportunity to work with them on a mission start to finish. The amount of real-world experience that the platoon received was invaluable. I was thoroughly impressed with performance.

What did you do and see?

Our mission was to conduct construction along the U.S/Mexican border in order to improve mobility for the U.S. Border Patrol. We saw lots of desert and lots of fence. We were in fairly remote area.

What was a day like?

Days usually consisted of a 5 a.m. wakeup and working until 7 p.m. We worked hard all day long and never complained -- 14-hour days were the norm, and my soldiers worked extremely hard. I am humbled by the responsibility and proud to lead a great group of soldiers.

What impressed you?

We used heavy equipment to improve access and mobility for the U.S. Border Patrol. We constructed/improved/engineered 2.2 miles of border road in roughly 24 days. As a citizen of the United States, I was thoroughly impressed with the professionalism of the Border Patrol and the extremely tough job that they do protecting our border.

What did you accomplish?

This type of mission is important on two levels. One, it gives valuable real world training to my soldiers. The missions teach units how to work in a joint military and civilian environment, environments that they will encounter on deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Two, securing our borders is an important function of homeland security.

Why did you join the military?

I joined in November of 2008. I wanted to experience the adventure of the military and test my leadership abilities in an arena where they could truly be tested. I also wanted to do my part to serve our country. I am currently stationed in Hawaii. I am still relatively new to the Army -- in an Army that has seen a lot of deployments. I'm definitely the new guy.

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